Eemian to Early Weichselian organic deposits in the watershed kettle-hole basins in central Poland

Abstract

In the examined part of central Poland, there are numerous kettle-hole basins filled with mineral and biogenic sediments of the Eemian Interglacial and Early Weichselian. These basins are located in varied geological and geomorphological locations with variable thicknesses of the sediments and deposits. The infillings were investigated by lithological and palaeobotanic methods. Lithology of the biogenic sediments is diverse, primarily gyttja and peat, but also organic silt. A number of the documented sites contain a record of environmental changes throughout the glacial-interglacial cycle from the end of the Warta Stadial (Saalian) to Early Weichselian. Local geological, geomorphological and hydrological conditions influenced the possibility of continuous peat-lake accumulation and the timing of the completion of this accumulation. Biogenic sediments are covered with the Middle and Late Weichselian mineral sediments which indicate climatic changes and are the main reason for rapid and synchronic degradation of kettle-hole infillings.